


Attached

by honestgrins



Series: To Rely on the Kindness of Strangers [69]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 15:54:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11649849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honestgrins/pseuds/honestgrins
Summary: Prompt from nemesis729: KC: There's this stray cat that lives in our neighborhood and we both feed it and stuff and it hasn't been around for a few days so we go out at 3am to find it with catnip and a butterfly net





	Attached

Trudging to his kitchen in the middle of the night, Klaus rubbed tiredly at his eyes. It wasn't until he was filling a glass with tap water that he noticed her through the window over his sink. He slipped out onto their shared balcony, careful not to startle his neighbor. "You're up late, sweetheart."

Caroline smiled wanly. A thick blanket wrapped around her shoulders, falling a bit when she shrugged. "I could say the same about you," she pointed out.

"The commission piece I've been working on, I hit a burst of inspiration," he explained, making himself comfortable next to her on the faded wicker couch and stretching his arm across the back.

Their friendship had been an adjustment for Klaus; living next to Caroline Forbes required more than a little patience for home improvement projects and her particular level of pep. She was always fluttering about the duplex, humming or singing to herself as she tended to the garden that had long crept over to his side of the house.

Content to let her tear up the weeds and precisely maintain the yard, it wasn't until she insisted upon decorating their patio that Klaus felt the need to point out they were just renters. Of course, Caroline took that as an opportunity to preach the importance of taking pride in building a home; she was so passionate about the subject, he couldn't help but let her drag him to various home improvement stores to find outdoor furniture they both liked.

What started as a project became a tentative friendship; through bouts of bickering and the occasional late-night talk over a cup of tea, even Klaus couldn't deny the connection he felt to his tightly wound neighbor. He hoarded these relaxed moments with her, hoping they might one day lead to more.

As Klaus took in the strained lines of her face, though, he realized Caroline was far from relaxed. "What's wrong, love?"

Her eyes wide with worry, Caroline turned to face him on the couch. "Have you seen McGonagall? Her water dish hasn't been touched in days."

Klaus frowned, thinking of the stray cat that had become a frequent visitor in the neighborhood. While he had capitulated to Caroline keeping bowls of water around, he knew she probably fed it with treats, too. "Did we ever agree on the name?"

"Minerva McGonagall did not spend years training as an Animagus  _not_  to have cats named in her honor," she scoffed automatically, "but that's not the point. What if she's hurt?"

"I'm sure the cat is fine." Klaus shrugged, trying not to focus on the brush of his wrist against Caroline's shoulder. "She's a mean old thing, more than able to take care of herself."

Sighing, Caroline leaned further into his arm as her eyes surveyed the dark lawn around them. "I know you only put up with her because of me, but she's not mean," Caroline defended.

Though he tried to hide an incredulous smile, Klaus's dimples gave him away; he caught the sharp elbow she tried to drive into his side, forcing himself to let go without an errant stroke of his thumb. "Are we thinking of the same McGonagall? The one that viciously fought the raccoon just looking for the leftover pizza in our trash?"

Caroline's laugh was soft. "She's just protective, and we haven't had a raccoon problem since."

Feeling his heart pumping wildly, Klaus tried not to react as Caroline cuddled against him. He slowly lowered an arm around her when it seemed she wouldn't be moving. "Maybe she wriggled herself into a family, becoming a proper housecat."

"I don't think so." Caroline shook her head, burrowing deeper into his chest. "I tried letting her in a while ago, she wasn't having it. I even bought catnip, but it's like she knew it was an elaborate bribe to go to the vet."

Klaus chuckled. "While you would probably be a delight to live with, maybe it's for the best to let the outdoor cat stay outdoors," he suggested with only a slightly mocking tone.

"I am a delight," she snorted, poking his side. "You should know, I've made this place look amazing, and it's comfy to boot."

"No arguments here, sweetheart." He wanted to curse himself for the soft thread of adoration in his voice, painfully obvious to his ear.

Caroline must have heard it, too, as her head lifted from his chest. Her eyes slowly tracked upward from his wrinkled Henley to his face. Teeth tugging at her bottom lip, Caroline finally met his eyes with a determination he didn't understand. "You usually like to argue with me," she said quietly.

Unable to resist the closing distance between them, Klaus let his nose slowly drag along hers. A smirk lifted the corner of his mouth as she fell into the contact. "You get the most lovely flush up your neck when you get worked up," he confided.

"Artist types," she joked, shaking her head until their lips collided gently.

Klaus let her lead the kiss, his fingers toying with the ends of her curls as she pressed further into him. She had just slipped her hand under his shirt when a shrill howl sounded from down the street. Before he could keep a firm hold on her hips, Caroline shot up from his lap to look for the source of the distressed noise.

"That was her!" She shoved the blanket from her shoulders, making Klaus groan at the sight of her long legs in the criminally short pajama shorts. Though she smirked at his obvious distraction, Caroline pulled at his hand. "Come on, we have to make sure she's okay."

"What, no, sweetheart." He remained firmly on the couch, trying to keep her still for just a moment. "It's three in the morning, you can't go chasing wild animals. If you're that worried, we can call Animal Control."

She pouted. "They won't come this late unless there's been an actual attack, and McGonagall would hate the pound."

Sighing, Klaus stood and reeled her into him. Caroline went willingly but eyed him suspiciously the whole time. "You're going to go looking for her anyway, aren't you?"

Eyes too wide to be completely innocent, she remained silent.

"Fine," he decided, already putting together a plan to keep her safe. "Put on jeans and good running shoes, maybe grab that catnip and an extra water bowl. We are  _not_  going to capture her." He narrowed her eyes at the contentious expression on her face. "I will only enable you so far, sweetheart. That cat would maul you in your sleep, and the diseases."

"I know," she finally answered, defeated. Klaus often wondered how much of their bickering was due to mere stubbornness as opposed to a real difference of opinion; he'd bet anything it was the former, just for fun sometimes. He looked forward to finding out just how much fun they could have together. With the warm feeling he got when she smiled brightly, he knew he was in trouble. "But thank you. Now, let's go!"

Less than a minute later, they were creeping down their street looking for a stray cat, armed only with catnip and a broom in case McGonagall decided to turn on her friends. Klaus briefly considered the butterfly net his nieces had apparently left at his place, but he feared Caroline would take it as a tacit agreement to forcibly adopt the cat.

Plus, he appeared to have more pleasurable opportunities for her to convince him in the future; it wouldn't serve him well to be an easy target so soon.


End file.
